Musical instrument.



G. B. KELLY.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I3. I9I5.

1 ,277,944. Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

G. B. KELLY.

MUSICAL NSTHUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1a. 191s.

Patented Sept. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 fw @m Ano/MEW UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

GEORGE E. KELLY,

y F JAMAICA PLAIN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 THE AEOIIIAN COMPANY, A'CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented sept. 3, 1918.

Appi'ication med May 13, 1915. serial No. 27,8524. f

TQ all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, GEORGE B. KELLY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jamaica Plain, in the county of Su'olk and State ofMassachusetts, have inventedcerl tain new and useful Improvements inMusica-l Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in vautomatic musicalinstruments and relates especially to means in such instruments forpreventing the music sheets 'from drifting out of track with ythetracker-bar and for preventing plural sheets from gettinff outv ofsynchronism with each other.

he advantages of my invention will be l apparent to those skilled in theart from i curedto the spindle' 6 whose en an understandingof thefollowing description in connection with the drawings which illustrateone ofl the specific embodiments my invention maytake. In them, Figure 1is a front elevation partly in vertical section of a tracker-box withmusic rolls andzmy improvements; Fi 2 is an enlarged partial view toillustrate Vetails of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section 'on the line 3.-3 inFig. 2 looking in the direction o1 the arrows; Fig. 4 is an enlargedsection' partly in elevation on line 4-4 in Fig. 1 looking inthedirection of the tionsmay be provided with perforations to control thestops in an organ, or the pedals orpother expression devices, etc., ina-piano or the like. i'

Each music'sheet is further provided with `a central line yof sprocketholes 5; The

music-sheets are attachedV to independent music spools 33L and `4*".

3l and 4b are a pair of take-u spools ses are journaled insuitable'bearings in the sides of the tracker box, so that said take-upspools turn together when the spindle is driven.

The means for drivingy the spindle and taken up spools to effect theunwinding and playing of the sheets, may be suitably applied in any wellknown. or preferred manner to one end 6? of the spindle. n

yReverting to themusic-roll spools 3a and 4, each has a plain trunnion 7and a halfround or flatted trunnion 8. The plain trunnions are locatedat the outside end of the Vspools when they are together in playingposition andl are supported in cup like bearings 9 on the ends ofslidable rods 10 supported in sleeves in the sides of the musicbox andnormally given inward tendency by the tension springs 11.

The music-rolls are simultaneously driven on the rewind by means asfollows acting n in common on their flatted ends 8. 14 is a gear-wheelhaving a hub '141% with a halfround part 14b secured fixedly in thehollow ofthe hub. Ther gear-wheel 14 is rotatably supported by the endsof its hub projecting into the bearing-sleeves 15 which in turn arestationarily supported inthe ends of the metal straps 16 projecting fromthe back of the tracker boX.- f

Each music roll is inserted in playing p osition by inserting its plaintrunnion 7 in its n f cup-bearing 9 and pushing it' outwardly until thehalf-round trunnion y8 can be snapped into the end of the gear-wheel hubwith fits half-round extremity received into the half-roundspace in thehub not filled by the above described half-round .part 14D. `The resultis that wheni the gear wheel 14 is driven it rotates bothk music-rollspools, vit being understood that said gear or`sprocket wheel will bedriven in any suitable or preferre'd manner so as to rewindthe sheetsafter playing. l v

The individual sheets are prevented from drifting, laterally and therebygetting` out of registration with theducts in the trackerbar and arefurther prevented from `getting out of synchronism by means of sprocketteeth or pins 18 on a tube 19 which in turn is provided interiorly withthe spiders 20 having hubs 21. 22 is a rod extending through these hubsand .on which they rotatably support the tube 19 and the sprocket teeth18. Of course, stopV or shoulder means is rprovided to preventi the tube19 from shifting laterally in either direction as .it rotates on the rod22. vThe two sets of sprocket teeth are positioned at the right distanceapart when the device is made so that when they are engaged by thesprocket holes 5 in the music-sheets, said sheets are in properregistering or playing position on the tracker-bar. kThe rod 22 isitself supported at its ends bythe arms pivoted at 24 to the sides ofthek music box. The result is that the weight of the sprocket tube willbear yieldingly down on the musicsheets between their spools and thetrackerbar as shown in Fig. 4. Also said sprocket tube may be swungupwardly and back out of engagement with the music sheets for exampleduring the rewind. The sides. 1 are slotted at 11 so as not to interferewith the lowered or operating position of the sprocket tube.

The front ends of the sheets will have the usual loops for engagementwith the hooks 25 on the respective halves of the take-up spool. Thesehooks are lixed to a single rock-shaft 26 which' extends through alongitudinally extending hole through the body portion and flanges .ofboth spools, said rock-shaft being bent `outwardly between the take-upspools so as to provide an operating handle 26a. By turning this handleto the right in Fig. 6, it will simultaneously` lift the endsof thehooks 25 to release the loops of the music sheets or vice-versa topermit them to be engaged with the hooks, which thereupon can be swungback into their loop-holding position by turning the said handle 26aback into thef position shown inFigG.

The mode of operation is as follows: The companion music-rolls areinsertedr as described in playing position. The sprocket tube 19 willthen be lifted and` the ends of the sheets drawn .down under it` an dthen over the tracker to the take-upl Spool where their loops arekengaged with the hooks on said take-up spool.'-'The sprocket tube willthen be lowered to bring its teeth into engagement with the sprocketholes in the sheets, care being taken that the sheets are in synchronismwhen they are engaged with the sprocket teeth. The clutch will then bethrown in to rotate the take-up. spool to unwind and play the sheetssimultaneously. Neither sheet can now drift out of registry with thetracker-bar ducts. VFurther, both sheets must travelvin synchronismbecause they werestarted in synchronism andare kept so by the two setsof sprocketl teeth on the tube 19. It will be noted that this tubemerely turns idly without any driving effect in the sheet-s,consequentlyits teeth will not tear them` at the sprocket holes. On therewind the sprocket tube may be raised out of engagement with thesheets.

For the best results, these companion music sheets should ,be made; inaccordance with my copending application Serial No. 27852 filed May 13,1915.

sheets.

-, sheets.

Of course some changes andA modifications might be made in the abovethat are nevertheless withinthe spirit of this inventive disclosure andthese I mean to cover by the annexed claims under the doctrine ofequivalents. VFurther certain of the steps 0r means might be usedwithout the remainder or in connection with equivalent means.

That I claim is :w Y 4 1. In an automatic musical' instrument,atracker-bar; companion music sheets ,provided with lines of sprocketholes; means for driving said sheets over the tracker-bar; and idlyturning means for keeping them synchronized comprising sprocket teeth'engage ing'the sprocket holes of all the` sheets.`

- 2. In an automatic musical instrument, 1a tracker-bar; companion musicsheets provided with lines of sprocket holes; means for driving saidsheets over the tracker-bar; and idlyturning sprocket wheels connectedto r0- tate together and to severally engage the lines of sprocket holesin the respective sheets so as to `keep theV sheetssynchronized.`

In an automatic musical instrument, a tracker-bar; companion musicsheets provided with lines of sprocket holes; means for driving saidsheets over'the tracker-bar; and a single idly rotatable cylinder havinga set of sprocket teeth individual to each sheet, so as tosimultaneously engage all the'lines of sprocket holes in the sheets.

a. In 4an automatic musical instrument,` a tracker-bar; companion musicsheets provided with linesfof. sprocket holes; means for driving saidsheets over'the tracker-bar idly turning ,means for keeping Athem`synchronizedv comprising sprocket teethfengagin the sprocketl holes ofally the sheets; an means for supporting said 'idly' turning means so as`to bear yieldingly against the 5. In an automatic musicalVv instrument,companion music sheets provided withlines of sprocket holes; means forkeeping them synchronized comprising sprocketv wheels connected torotate together and disposed to engage the sprocket holes in all thesheets; and driving means for said sheets which is independent of saidsynchronizing means.

6. In an lautomatic musical instrument,` a

\ trackenbar; companion music sheets provided with 'lines of sprocketholes; means for imparting movement in one direction tosaid sheets;means independent of the driving means forkeeping said sheetssynchronized comprising sprocket wheels connected to rotate together anddisposed to engage 'the` sprocket holes in all the sheets; and means forsupporting the synchronizing means so as to permit it. to be swung clearofthe l 7. InanV automatic musical instrument, a tracker-har, a musicsheet provided with a line of perforations, driving means for saidsheet, and a freely turning wheel having peripheral projections locatedso as to engage said perforations when the sheet is in playing positionon the tracker-bar to prevent lateral drifting of the sheet.

8. In an automatic musical instrument, a pair oi companion music rolls;and means for operatively supporting and driving them in endwiserelation to each other, comprising a rotatable driven part locatedbetween the adjacent ends of the rolls, adapted to be interlocked Withsaid ends so that the rolls rotate with the driven part, and bearingsfor the outer ends of said rolls.

9. In an automatic musical instrument, a tracker-bar, independentcompanion music sheets provided With lines of sprocket holes, means foroperatively supporting said sheets relative to the tracker-bar and inendwise relation to each other, single take-up spooly means forengagement With said sheets to unwind them simultaneously, and idly turning means for keeping said sheets synchronized comprising sprocket teethengaging the sprocket-holes of all the sheets.

10. In an automatic musical instrument, a trackenbar; companion musicsheets; means for moving said sheets over the tracker-bar; meansindependent of the last-named means for keeping said sheets synchronizedduring such movement; and means for supporting said synchronizing meansso as to bear yieldingly against the sheets.

11. In an automatic musical instrument, a tracker-bar; companion musicsheets; means for moving said sheets over the tracker-bar; idly turningmeans for keeping the sheets synchronized during such movement; andmeans for supporting said turning means so as to bear yieldinglyagainstthe sheets.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification this11th day of` May, 1915. y l

e GEORGE B. KELLY.

Copies of thi! patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patenti, Washington. D. U.

